Copenhagen Accord failed to deliver, say LDC leaders

At a dialogue session organised on the sidelines of the main Cancun conference, some of the least developed countries most affected by climate change expressed their grave disappointment at the failure of the rich countries to honour the pledges made at last year's Copenhagen climate conference. Hilary Chiew reports.

POLITICAL leaders from some least developed countries and small island states that have associated themselves with the Copenhagen Accord have expressed their disappointment with the promised 'fast-start' finance that remains elusive and they are also concerned that the pledges are insufficient to keep temperature rise below a safe limit for them.

The second session of the Heads of State dialogue organised on 10 December on the sidelines of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 6th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) by the Mexican COP presidency saw the participation of six developing countries, Norway, the President of the World Bank and the secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Chaired by Mexican President Felipe Calderon, the panel discussed the topic 'The struggle against climate change: what should our legacy be?'

Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo said Guyana attended the Cancun meeting with lower than normal expectation. He said he heard a lot about partnership but noted that the lack of trust is so palpable especially between the developed and developing countries.

On fast-start finance, he said he had seen some dubious accounting of how developed countries are disbursing the money. The Copenhagen Accord was seen as a compromise. Although it is not perfect, there is some money there but (until today), not a cent has been disbursed to vulnerable countries.

The criteria for vulnerability have not been determined and propaganda will not solve the climate change problem, he said. The way forward is to have an aggressive fight to restore the momentum before Copenhagen. That momentum has now been replaced by disappointment and malice, and filled by climate sceptics. The sceptics should not be allowed to prevail. The only way to have tough actions is to have as many people as possible put pressure on developed-country leaders who are laggards to make the right decisions, the President added.

Illustrating the excuses used by developed countries in disbursing funds, he said Guyana has a world-class MRV (measurable, reportable and verifiable) system in its forest management. Whatever is paid, a report will be received right down to the last tonne (of carbon dioxide). Yet, he had heard nightmare stories about financing.

Sometimes (the stories) get worse the smaller a country is. Small countries, he said, have to jump through many hoops but this was not the case with big countries like Indonesia and Brazil.

Jagdeo warned that the biggest incentives to the carbon market will be at risk if there is not going to be a legally binding agreement on emissions reduction. He said a carbon price signal is needed to mobilise private funding as public funding alone cannot do the job.

He stressed that climate change poses an existential threat to the developing countries. It's a matter of life and death, people eating or not; sometimes that perspective is lost.

Recalling UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's remark about 'the perfect not being the enemy of the good', Nauru President Marcus Stephen said for small island states the 'good' is their survival. It is important that it is the starting point. He said they are not in Cancun to derail the process but they support limiting temperature rise to below 1.5øC as that's what the science says.

Prime Minister of the Central African Republic Faustin Archang Touadera said his country was expecting technology transfer in the field of renewable energy as compensation for sacrificing its forests in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

He called for the realisation that efforts need to be made by the rich as they had polluted more and that brought about the problem of climate change. He urged Annex I countries to honour their commitments.

Kiribati President Anote Tong said the issue of vulnerability has to be addressed as all countries considered themselves to be vulnerable. Vulnerability has to be defined at some stage.

He said his country did not sign the Copenhagen Accord for the simple reason that keeping temperature rise below 2øC is not acceptable, but later associated with it as there was an understanding that association would trigger the flow of funds.

He however had not seen a cent and had to disappoint his people who requested for the construction of seawalls. The study had been done and the costs are known but they do not have the money to build the seawalls, he said.

Despite most small island states' demands for 1.5øC to be the limit for temperature rise, he believed that even if that is achieved in the pending agreement, it would be too late for a country like Kiribati.

Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Maliegaoi said direct access for Parties is long overdue and there is a need for clarity of fast-start finance and increase in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) proceeds to the Adaptation Fund.

While welcoming the 5th replenishment to the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which is the only financial operating entity of the UNFCCC, he said replenishment to the Least Developed Countries Fund and Special Climate Change Fund must be through assessed contributions and not via pledges as is currently the case.

He said technologies must be appropriate, affordable and suitable for the population sizes of the Pacific islands. The islands, he added, must not be used as dumping grounds for obsolete and untested technologies.

Compelling case

Referring to the plight of the vulnerable island states, South African President Jacob Zuma said that the most vulnerable countries once again make a very compelling case and their situations must be taken note of. Unfortunately, they cannot do it on their own but if Parties work together, more can be achieved. Acting now costs far less than acting later, he said.

He stressed that as agreed in Bali, the politically accepted way for the climate regime to go forward is through an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol to establish a second commitment period and a legally binding outcome under the UNFCCC.

Parties had to leave Cancun having agreed to the overarching position and the continuation of negotiation of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. This would enable Durban to build on what is achieved in Cancun and ensure future generations inherit a world that is sustainable and climate-resilient.

(South Africa will host the 17th COP and the 7th CMP in Durban in 2011.)

World Bank President Robert Zoellick said cooperation is needed among countries in promoting lower-carbon growth. He stressed on the role of the market in allocating resources (in fighting climate change) efficiently such as through carbon pricing, incentives and disincentives. There is also the need to integrate development programmes and the poverty eradication agenda. He said it would be sad if one or two countries hold the climate negotiation hostage and prevent progress (in the multilateral process).

In conclusion, Mexican President Calderon said even if developed countries bring down their emissions to zero, the problem will worsen as developing countries grow and continue to emit. Island states not only are vulnerable to impacts of climate change but may disappear. He said the logical thing to do is to stop global warming.

Likening the fight against climate change to a vehicle without a driver, he said somebody has to take control of the situation and steer it to safety. He said an 'all-or-nothing posture' (referring to specific demands of various Parties) should not prevail.    

Hilary Chiew is a senior researcher with the Third World Network.

*Third World Resurgence No. 244, December 2010, pp 24-25